Norway’s often unreliable train system stranded passengers once again, just as many were leaving home at the start of the country’s five-day Easter holiday weekend on Thursday. Many also missed flights when train service to Oslo’s main airport at Gardermoen ground to a halt.
Trains stood still in and around the Oslo area after a “technical error” in state railroad agency BaneNor‘s computer systems left them unable to communicate with one another. BaneNor also reported a power failure to rail lines that lasted for 50 minutes Thursday morning.
When the problems were finally corrected, passengers faced long delays and train cancellations that also affected the Airport Express Train (Flytoget) to Gardermoen. Passengers who had made it as far as Lillestrøm also faced a severe shortage of the taxis that BaneNor and railway NSB rely upon as alternate modes of transport in times of trouble.
One couple who missed their flight to Lisbon saw their long-planned holiday in Portugal disintegrate, while another man spent six hours trying to get to work in Eidsvoll. Rail officials offered the customary apologies but that wasn’t enough to compensate for ruined holidays. It was unclear for many travelers whether they’d be able to receive refunds for airfare and pre-paid hotels.
newsinenglish.no staff
